Cigarette holder



May 5, 1959 Filed Nov. 7, 1955 EOKU/A/ Iii/780M I N VEN TOR.

United States Patent CIGARETTE HOLDER Edwin Mason, Alta'dena, Calif. Application November 7, 1955, Serial No. 545,316

-1 Claim. (Cl. 131-175) This invention relates to smoking accessories and more particularly to a cigarette holder having novel features for increasing the convenience and safety of smoking.

A primary object of the invention is the provision of a holder for a cigarette or the like in which the entire cigarette is enclosed within a reticulated protective housing so designed as not to interfere with the normal burning of the cigarette while retaining the ashes.

Another object is the provision of a cigarette holder in which positive means are provided for eliminating fires attributable to smoking, as well as burns on furniture, clothing, the person of the smoker or others in the immediate vicinity. The latter objective is along-recognized serious hazard when smoking in crowded places, as a social gathering, in public corridors and on public conveyances or elevators.

Generally speaking, "my accessory comprises amou'thpiece, a simple, easily manipulated coupling and a reticulated cylindrical housing slightly larger than the cigarette so as to enclose the same without actually contacting it. Preferably the cigarette housing is formed from fine mesh screening closed at its remote end.

'Another feature of the invention is a folding stand which may be pivoted to a collapsed position closely embracing the body of the holder, or opened to a position providing a flat-based stand for supporting the holder in a stable position with the cigarette and its enclosing housing spaced above and inclined upwardly with respect to a flat table or other place of rest for the lighter holder.

Additional advantages and features of my invention will become apparent from the foregoing detailed specification of an illustrated embodiment taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the assembled holder with a fresh cigarette in place and with the folding stand collapsed against the reticulated housing;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view partly in section and showing the collapsing stand extended to support a lighted cigarette in an inclined position spaced above a table top; and

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 on Figure 2.

Referring to the drawing, it will be seen that my smoking accessory comprises a molded mouthpiece formed from hard rubber, plastic or any other suitable material of which there is a great variety available. This generally tubular mouthpiece has a large-diameter central bore 11 extending lengthwise and terminating at one end in a bit portion 12 of generally conventional design. Firmly secured to the opposite end of mouthpiece 10, as by cement or a tight frictional fit, is a metallic male coupling element 13 provided with threads 14 at its outer end for detachably receiving the female coupling sleeve 15. Coupling member 13 is provided with a central bore 16 providing a continuation of bore 11 in the mouthpiece and having a larger diameter bore 17 at its outer end for frictionally receiving the suction end of a typical .2 cigarette generally indicated at 18. The entrance end of bore 17 may be tapered to facilitate the reception of a new cigarette while the inner end has a flaring shoulder 19 merging with central bores '16 and 11 of the accessory.

The protective safety housing of my invention comprises a very fine mesh wire member having a cylindrical main body 21 appreciably larger in diameter than a cigarette and a closed outer end 22 terminating slightly beyond the outer end of a fresh cigarette. The open opposite end 23 of the reticulated housing is spot welded or otherwise firmly secured within the open outer end of the coupling member 15. The latter is preferably pro vided with a series of small perforations 24 providing free access of air to the .inner end of the cigarette while the last portion thereof is being consumed.

It will be understood that the safety housing is formed of sufficiently :fine mesh screen to retain the ashes therewithin and yet admit adequate air for the normal smokers draft. It also has an inner diameter slightly greater than the diameter of a cigarette whereby the sides of the cigarette are out of contact with the safety housing. Otherwise, the lightedportion of the cigarette might contact the housing and cool sufficiently to prevent uniform burning of the cigarette.

The folding stand forming an important feature of my invention comprises a generally U-shaped wire member 25 having a semicircular bight portion .26 formed to embrace the lower half of the safety housing whenthe support is 'inits collapsed position, as best shown in Figure 1. The upper ends of the two legs 27 are turned inwardly toward one another to provide trunnions 28 which project through openings 29 in sleeve 15. Preferably the inner ends of the trunnion also project into the reticulated safety housing, as clearly shown in Figure 3. Accordingly, it will be clear that trunnions .28 can :and preferably do serve to hold the safety housing assembled to sleeve 15.

As also shown in Figure 3, it is preferable that the spacing between legs 27 be somewhat less than the diameter of sleeve 15 and that this sleeve be provided with slight indentations 30 for receiving and retaining the stand 25 in its open, holder-supporting position as illustrated in Figure 2. Accordingly, it is desirable that the stand 25 be formed of light spring material so that the legs will spread apart readily as the stand is collapsed upwardly against the holder to the position shown in Figure 1 and so that they will also snap into the shallow indentations 30 to lock the stand in its extended open position when so desired.

The operation of my invention will be quite obvious from the foregoing detailed description of its construction. Let it be assumed that the smoker wishes to insert a fresh cigarette into the assembled device. It is merely necessary to unscrew sleeve 15 from mouthpiece 10 along with safety housing 21. The end of a fresh cigarette is then inserted into bore 17 and aligned with the mouthpiece. Ihereafter the unitary sleeve and safety housing is inserted over the outer end of the cigarette and turned back into place. During this operation stand 25 will usually be collapsed against the side of the housing as indicated in Figure 1.

The cigarette is then lighted through the reticulated housing by holding the outer end in the path of a match flame in the usual manner. The flame easily passes through the openings in the safety screening; the smoker, of course, pulls a draft through the device consuming the cigarette in the customary way. However, the resulting ashes do not escape from the reticulated housing in any substantial or objectional amount nor can the lighted end of the cigarette be brought into contact with either the smoker or persons adjacent to him. Any ashes which may escape through the small mesh screen are so fine as to scatter widely as they settle. And, of course, it is self-apparent that it is impossible to contact the lighted end of the cigarette with combustible material or to raise the temperature of adjacent objects sufiiciently to damage them.

' If the user wishes to lay the cigarette aside momentarily, or for extended periods,this can be done with complete confidence and safety. The smoker merely pivots the collapsing stand 25 to its extended position as shown in Figures 2 and 3. Note particularly from Figure 2 that when the stand is extended it supports the lighted end of the cigarette at a slight inclination to the horizontal well out of heating range to underlying fabrics or varthe burning zone reaches the outer end of metallic sleeve 13 whereupon the cooling effect of this metallic part will extinguish the cigarette along a plane slightly out- 'wardly of threaded sleeve 14. Normally, it is found the cigarette is self-extinguishing briefly after being laid at rest on a flat supporting surface. This not only provides a safety feature, but also asures that there will be a suflicient, unburned portion of the cigarette to permit of its convenient removal for replacement by a fresh one.

It will be readily apparent from the foregoing that my invention not only serves as an effective ash collector and retainer, but eliminates the possibility of fires or of burns to persons or other objects. The device may be manufactured in any required size to accommodate cigars as well as cigarettes of various sizes. The cross section and length may also be varied to support prepared smokes of either round or oval contour.

I claim: I

A fool proof safety smoking accessory adapted to be supported on a fiat supporting surface with a lighted cigarette therein with the bit of the mouthpiece thereof held out of contaminating contact with the supporting surface and with the lighted end of the cigarette positively screened from possibility of contact with the person, his clothing or with any nearby inflammable material as for example, curtains, drapes or the like, said accessory comprising a tubular mouthpiece having a bit formed at one end of smaller diameter than a bulging mid-portion thereof, a tubular metal coupling member secured to the other end of said mouthpiece having a bore formed to seat frictionally therein one end of a cigarette, a tubular safety housing for a cigarette closed at its outer end and formed from screen mesh, said safety housing including sleeve means at its inner open end for detachable connection with said tubular metal coupling member, said screen being spaced concentrically from the sides and outer end of a cigarette seated in said coupling member and being eifective to retain cigarette ashes therewithin and to pass a fiameto ignite the cigarette and being effective additionally in preventing the burning cigarette from coming in contact with any object to burn or ignite the same, and pivoting stand means having a broad base extending transversely of said mouthpiece at the cigarette supporting end thereof, said pivoting stand cooperating with said bulging mid-portion to support said accessory in a stable position on a flat surface with both said bit and the outer ignited cigarette end spaced above said surface, said stand means being pivotable to a retracted position with the broad base thereof closely embracing the sides of said accessory.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,429,228 Edwards Sept. 19, 1922 1,504,675 Bruzga Aug. 12, 1924 1,805,228 Abbott May 12, 1931 2,096,658 Walden Oct. 19, 1937 2,598,845 Smith June 3, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 170,254 Great Britain Oct. 20, 1921 444,820 Italy Feb. 1, 1949 737,006 France Sept. 26, 1932 

